Evolution Theatre Inc.
dba Evolution Theatre Company
P. O. Box 21072
Columbus, Ohio 43221-0072
614-233-1124
info@evolutiontheatre.org
Evolution Theatre Inc.
mark@evolutiontheatre.org Wayne Cocchi, M.Ed. Robin Starr is a member of See You Thursday Improvisation, and is affiliated with Pull The String Productions. Robin has attended improvisational workshops led by Keith Johnstone of Theatre Sports, Joe Bill (Bassprov and Scram), Susan Messing (Messing with a Friend), Megan Grano, and George Caleodis among others. Robin teaches Improv for performance and for corporations and non-profit groups. She has been seen locally in Steel Magnolias (Ouiser); Dearly Departed (Juanita) and Incorruptible (Agnes). She’s performed interactive improv with Cloak and Dagger Dinner Theater and Murder Mystery Theater, and on screen in Two Doors Down, a web series. She is a founding member of Easily Amused Improv, a long form Improv troupe, and performed with the Dixie Cups. She is a Toastmaster, and a member and past board member of the Applied Improvisation Network, and a volunteer with North Central Mental Health Centers Suicide Prevention Hotline. Dwayne Steward Linda Wetters 
Mark Phillips Schwamberger
Board President / Managing Director
Mark’s theatrical career spans over thirty years. His passion for theatre began during his undergraduate studies at The University of Louisville and continues to this day. He has performed at The Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan prior to moving to NYC to pursue his career. While in New York; he was involved with Earl Wilson Jr. and Phil Oesterman’s hit Off-Broadway musical, Let My People Come; worked with Albert Poland on The Charles Pierce Show starring Mr. Charles Pierce; and worked on The Incredible World of Magic and Illusion with Richiardi Jr., and a host of other master magicians all at the famed Village Gate Theatre in Greenwich Village. He also worked on shows with Christopher and Amanda Plummer at Town Hall and other productions at The Cherry Lane and The Roundabout Theatre. In addition to this, he performed in productions at both Off and Off – Off Broadway venues as well as producing and directing cabaret shows at The Top of the Gate. Besides working and performing in New York and Michigan, he has also been in various musicals, comedies and dramas in Kentucky, Florida and Ohio. He originated the role of Major Vadim in the world premiere of White Russian written by Michael S. Parsons and directed by Michael Bailey; he originated the characters of Morton Silkline in the movie The Funeral and Henry Krueger in the movie Oni both directed by Christopher Dukes.
Mark has studied acting, voice, and movement both privately and at University. His training has been influenced by Uta Hagen’s teachings and the Stanislavski technique. He received his B.A. in Theatre for The Ohio State University. Mark is also an award winning playwright. As a writer, Mark has written full length and short stage plays (The Story of Boo and Beep, The Undergraduate, Pandora’s Jar and Crane). While in the corporate world, Mark has also had a career in the information technology, marketing and business development fields with Bank One/Chase, SunTrust Corp. and Metavante Corp.
Paul Lockwood
Founder / Artistic Director Emeritus
Board Member
A native of the Chicago area, Paul began acting in musicals such as Kiss Me, Kate (Lucentio), The Boy Friend (Bobby) and Under Papa’s Picture (Fabrizio). He then moved to New York City, where he worked as a writer, actor, and singer for 19 years.
He attended the Actor’s Conservatory under the instruction of Eileen Akin and Lily Lodge. During that time he appeared in scores of Off-Off Broadway productions and originated the roles of Hector in Goliath in Love (Wings Theatre) and the ex-convict-turned hustler in Ten Naked Men (New York Playhouse). Paul was also active in educational outreach theatre and was an early member of the AIDS Theatre Project, an award-winning troupe that wrote and performed works dealing with HIV and AIDS education and prevention. He co-authored and performed on Broadway in their celebrated production, Moment to Moment. Other companies he was actively involved with included Ten-to-One Productions, Theatre of the Elephant and his own Ice Theatre. In film, Paul appeared in a number of independent productions including Stephen Frears’ Hero (with Dustin Hoffman) and Jim Fall’s Trick, now a gay film classic.
Paul also studied voice for eight years and worked as a back-up and session singer for many years in New York. Among others, he has performed and/or recorded with Taka Boom, Sharon Redd, Ryo Kawasaki, Camilla Benson, Frank Grimaldi, The City Singers, Fall Out, and was half of the 80s dance duo MadStuff. His 2000 solo release, Positive, raised money for AIDS organizations and garnered a #1 single on the GLBT national charts.
While in Pittsburgh, Paul performed with Gemini Theater (as Sterling in Jeffrey) and VV Theatre (Fran in Gemini and Lew Bagatelle in Night Life) and directed for his own Pushpin Productions (The Reindeer Monologues). In Columbus, Paul founded Evolution Theatre Company in January 2008 and directed ETC’s premiere production, Stone Cold Dead Serious by Adam Rapp.
As a writer, Paul has authored a novel (A Hill Without Reason), film scripts (On High, The State of a Union, Soul Searchers), stage plays (Running From Paramus, hungry/angry/lonely/tired), sit-com pilots and episodes (Hell’s Kitchen, Second Chance) as well as many short stories.
Paul has a B.A in Journalism/Communications from the University of St. Francis, an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Theatre at OSU. Like most of the guys from The Sopranos, he is a member of the Guild of Italian-American Actors (GIAA).
Eric McKeever
Artistic & Education Coordinator
Board Member
eric@evolutiontheatre.org
Eric spent four years as Director of Education for Opera Columbus and prior to that he was the Manager of Education Programs at Kentucky Opera. With both companies he created innovative school and adult education programming ranging from touring productions to classroom curriculum. He began his professional career as the Administrative Director of Studio 16, a co-op artist gallery where he was responsible for marketing and artist relations.Mr. McKeever has presented at Opera America’s National Conference, presented lectures on arts administration at Otterbein College, Wilberforce University and the Kentucky Museum and is a graduate of the Jefferson Center Academy for Leadership and Governance Next Generation of Leaders Fellowship Program. Trained as a professional opera singer, he holds a Master of Music degree from The Ohio State University and Bachelor of Music degree from Capital University.
Board Member
Edwin Sanchez
Board Member
Edwin Sanchez Winner of National Latino Playwriting Award for his play, LA BELLA FAMILIA, his recent productions include TRAFFICKING IN BROKEN HEARTS at the Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles as well as the world premiere of his romantic comedy I’LL TAKE ROMANCE at the Evolution Theatre Company in Ohio.
Other productions include, DIOSA, produced by Hartford Stage after a successful workshop by New York Stage and Film, TRAFFICKING IN BROKEN HEARTS at the Atlantic Theater in New York, UNMERCIFUL GOOD FORTUNE at the Intar Theater in New York, ICARUS produced by Fourth Unity in New York, Actors Theater of Louisville as part of their Humana Festival, and San Jose Rep in California. His play BAREFOOT BOY WITH SHOES ON was produced by Primary Stages in New York and was selected by the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference to represent the National Playwrights Conference at the Schelykovo Playwrights Seminar in Russia. Mr. Sanchez’ work has been produced regionally throughout the United States as well as Brazil and Switzerland. Among his awards are the
Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays (CLEAN), three New York Foundation for the Arts Playwriting/Screenwriting Fellowships, the Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship (UNMERCIFUL GOOD FORTUNE), the Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award and the AT&T On Stage New Play Award (UNMERCIFUL GOOD FORTUNE). Mr. Sanchez lives in upstate New York where he continues to write as well as teach and mentors playwrights.
Robin Starr
Board Member
robin@evolutiontheatre.org
Board Member
Dwayne Steward is a journalist and human-rights activist working and living in Delaware, Ohio. He is the former Associate Producer of Metromix Columbus and was published in “It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying and Creating a Life Worth Living” edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller. Dwayne continues to work with the It Gets Better Project as an inspiration speaker at various schools and events. He also works with the Columbus AIDS Task Force, ACT OUT Delaware, Stonewall Columbus and the Kaleidoscope Youth Center, an organization that focuses on providing a safe space for gay youth in Central Ohio. He is also a theater critic and consultant for the Theater Roundtable of Central Ohio.
Board Member
